Keeping the Home Fires Burning tells the story of how the troops and the general public were kept happy and content during the First World War. Between 1914 and 1918 there was entertainment of the masses for the sole purpose of promotion of the war effort. It was the first time that a concerted effort to raise and sustain morale was ever made by any British government and was a combination of government sponsored ideas and lucky happenstance. It was all picked up and used by the new Propaganda Ministry.
The range of activities was wide and varied, from poetry to cinema, from music hall singers and artists to the creation of battlefield heroes. There was postcard humor and deliberate veneration of philanthropists - and war participants - like Woodbine Willie.
The theme of Keeping the Home Fires Burning is backed up by 40 illustrations from the time, including participants, posters, battlefield views and so on.
Author(s): Phil Carradice
Publisher: Pen and Sword History
Year: 2022
Language: English
Pages: 224
City: Barnsley
Cover
Book Title
Copyright
Contents
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Prologue
PART I Keep Safe, Keep Believing
Chapter 1 To Have and Have Not
Chapter 2 Daddy, What Did You Do in the War?
PART II No Thin-spread Lines of Bloodied Heroes
Chapter 3 Music Halls and Home Entertainment
Chapter 4 The Church Has One Foundation
PART III Moving Mountains
Chapter 5 Is There Really a Price on His Head?
Chapter 6 Gathering Lilacs, Keeping the Fires of Home Burning
Chapter 7 Woodbine Willie
PART IV Keep Smiling Through
Chapter 8 Art for the People
Plate section
Chapter 9 Old Bill
Chapter 10 A Canadian Genius
Chapter 11 A Touch of Satire
PART V Using What We’ve Got
Chapter 12 Heroes, Villains and Victims
Chapter 13 People’s Poetry
Chapter 14 Shoulder Arms, Mr Chaplin?
PART VI Shrines for the People
Chapter 15 A Forest of Flowers
Chapter 16 An End
Conclusion
Sources
Notes
Index
Back Cover
